Mike Goins performing lactic power intervals tonight. The med ball throws are done with max intensity for 20-40’s with a 1-3 minute rest. 3 reps are done in series with 3-4 series per workout. We use an 8 min active rest of shadow boxing, or light jog.

These intervals are done to increase how much power your lactic system can produce. Lactic power is vital in high energy paced phases of the fight(the back and forth war), trying to put away an opponent that won’t go etc.

I learned this from Joel Jamieson’s excellent work.

You gotta get better as a coach if you want your fighters to get better.

Learn the science and apply the science to take your fighter’s perfomance to new improved heights.

Olympic lifts for power development in boxers? They are not my tool of choice and in my opinion the medicine balls, and dead ball are a better tool of choice in developing power in fighters for the following reasons.

1. First of all, good luck getting a fighter or skill coach to do Olympic lifts with the performance limiting anti weight lifting BS pre programmed mindset from fallacies they blindly and ignorantly accept.

You want to know how to trick a fighter or skill coach into getting strong without lifting the heavy weights they both fear? Have the fighter push and pull a loaded sled

Why the power clean then? I have never had my fighters snatch. Why? Look at where the power comes from in punching, where is the transfer? Why beat up the joints more?

What is the risk vs reward here?

Olympic lifting is another sport in itself with a high complexity compared to the shear simplicity, and high versatility of the medicine ball and dead ball.

There is a difference between these tools, the tornado ball and medicine balls maximizes the stretch reflex and is therefore plyometric, and the dead balls do not, they are not used in a reactive way, they are great for starting and acceleration strength, think of the follow and drive through of the punch, where as the tornado ball is explosive speed, like a fire cracker going off fast, pop! That lighting fast but can’t crack an egg speed. Developing max strength will allow a fighter to display more force potential behind that explosive speed though making it that sought after and very dangerous combo that puts opponents to sleep on the canvass.

You should be able to visualize how these tools develop special strengths differently on the force/velocity curve and where these specials strengths lie on the curve.

3. Injury is reduced with medicine balls, dead balls, explosive jumps with the learning and proper application of them quicker.

Time spent in the strength room should be minimal compared to spp(skill training) there is no true off season for fighters, particularly amateur fighters, prospects, and pro contenders with a busy fight schedule year long.

You can inject med balls, and dead balls right in with less time taken to teach critique, or scale back the lifts.

Again, look at the biomechanics of a punch. Med balls are far more versatile to develop power in the movement patters of the punch, especially, the eye opening KO punch.

Bottom line… It’s all about training economy. Using the right methods (risk vs reward of exercise/method), at the right times (fighters preparedness and readiness level), for the right reasons ( clear understanding, instead of blind, you have no idea what you are doing and why acceptance of training means/methods).

Good coaches do this. The rest just cut and paste in their programming…..

Here are a couple of tips for you when training to develop explosive speed and power.

When training to develop explosive speed and power you MUST execute quality NOT quantity when targeting the explosive high threshold type IIB muscle fibers.

Meaning.. Each rep should be fast, intense. If it’s a half ass effort, Terminate it. Keep in mind FULL recovery between sets will allow pure quality of execution (intention) hence recruiting the high threshold fibers as the nervous system takes 5-7 times longer to recover than cellular tissue so it will be fresh to allow that focused and 100% intensity speed of movement you need to develop crippling power.

Here’s two great clips that highlights some of the fastest fighters to date. I agree with the fighters on these clips, if you don’t agree, well, leave a comment why and who else you think should be on these clips.